Flanked by picturesque coastline and the Anastasia State Park, St. Augustine seems a world away from the roar of Daytona Beach and the white knuckle rides of Orlando. This city in northeast Florida is the perfect place to forget about work for a while and enjoy the good life. Here are five picture-perfect ways to spend the day in St. Augustine.

Explore Area Beaches

Take time out to discover St. Augustine's stunning coastline. Along with nearby Ponte Vedra, the area boasts 42-miles of sandy playgrounds. The four-mile long St. Augustine Beach at the southern end of the beautiful Anastasia Island is one of the nearest, but it's worth traveling a little further afield to enjoy the shell-sprinkled shores of Crescent Beach and the majestic 35-foot sand dunes at the GTM Research Reserve.

Take an Old Town Trolley Tour

With more than 100 points of interest in St. Augustine it's tricky to see them all in one day. Choose your favorites and let the Old Town Trolley do the leg work. These buses make 23 stops around the city, so it's a good way to enjoy a whistle-stop tour of the most important landmarks in just a few hours. Stops include Gator Bob's Trading Post, the Lightner Museum, Potter's Wax Museum, and the Mission of Nombre de Dios. Save on the cost of your ticket by booking online before your trip.

Do Something Different

St. Augustine is about more than beaches. Make it a day to remember by doing something out of the ordinary. Options include a St. Augustine Beach and Old Downtown Helicopter Tour, riding the ferry to historic Fort Matanzas, and soaring over the Castillo de San Marcos Fort in a biplane. If you prefer to keep your feet on land, try the Ghosts and Gravestones Frightseeing Tour.

Enjoy Family Fun

You don't need to have a child in tow to enjoy St. Augustine's family-friendly attractions, but if you do, you're sure to earn some serious brownie points for taking them to the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum. Other fun pastimes include a trip to the Wild Reserve or the Alligator Farm. The carousel at Davenport Park and Fiesta Falls Mini Golf offer old-fashioned fun.

Discover Cultural Attractions

If a trip isn't complete without ticking off a few of a city's cultural hotspots, St. Augustine won't disappoint. Explore the Colonial Quarter in the heart of the Historic District, set off on a self-guided tour of the Spanish pirate style galleon ship, El Galleon Andalucia, or take a drink from a true-life Fountain of Youth at the site of America's First Colony.

If you decide you can't get enough of the area, you'll find that hotels in St. Augustine cater to all budgets. Save on a stay at Jaybird's Inn or splash out on a night or two at the Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront. Do you have your own ideas about how to spend the day in the nation's oldest city? Leave your travel tips in the comments section below.

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